Platform construction



April 14, 1925.

O. C. REEVES PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION Gama,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O. C. REEVES PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION Filed July 22, 1920EW ELL BREE/E5 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORWELL C. REEVES, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TOLEDO SCALE COMPANY, OFTOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION.

, Application filed an 22.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ()nwnLnC. Rnnvns, a

citizen of the United States, residing at T0- ledo, in the county ofLucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Platform Constructionspf which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to platforms of weighing scales and particularlyto platforms employed in scales such as are used in weighingcomparatively heavy loads.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a platformfor scales of this type which has great strength and rigidity but whichis of comparatively light weight.

Another object is to so construct the platform as to give ready accessto the pivots of the platform lever mechanism through openings which donot materially weaken the construction.

Still another object is to provide a platform of this type which is ofcomparatively inexpensive construction and which is adapted to beproduced in quantities by modern factory methods.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription in which reference is had to theaccompanying drawingsillustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similarreference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a scale embodying myinvention, the upper portion of the scale being broken away and myimproved platform and other parts being shown in section, substantiallyon the line1-1 of Figure2; v

Figure 2 is a side View showing substantially the same parts, theplatform being in section approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 3; V

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the platform; and

Figure 4: is an enlarged perspective view of a hand-hole cover formingpart of the platform.

The base of the scale, as well as the cab inet 2 or other supportingdevice for the loadoifsetting mechanism, may be of any preferredconstruction, and is illustrated herein merely to show the relation ofmy improved platform thereto. The platform levers may 1920 Serial No.398,142.

also be of any preferred construction, those illustrated being fulcrumedupon bearingsupporting brackets 3 located adjacent the interior cornersof the base 1, and having load pivots 4 which carry T-shaped supportmgmembers 5.

Parallel links 6 depend from the cross-bar of each of the supportingmembers 5 and swingingly support the platform through connections to behereinafter described.

The platform consists of a plate 7 of heavv sheet metal reinforced bychannel bars 8 e2ftending from front to rear adjacent the lateral edgesof the plate and secured by riveting. spotwelding. or other suitablemeans, to its lower side, and channel bars 9 adjacent its front and rearedges similarly secured in place. Extending longitudinally of the plate7 adjacent its center is a pair of angle bars 10 which are secured tothe plate by riveting or otherwise and secured at their ends to thechannel bars 9 by means of angle pleces 11.

The angle bars 10 form struts for truss rods 12 which lie beneath thebars 10 and are attached at their ends to brackets 13 se cured to thelower side of the plate 7. The ends of the rods 12 pass through thebrackets 13 and are provided with nuts 14 by means of which they may bedrawn up.

Lying beneath thechannel bars 8 and the angle bars 10 are narrower anglebars 15 which are secured to and further stiffen the plate 7, By meansof the reinforcing channel and angle bars and truss rods I obtain a verystrong, rigid platform structure with the use of comparatively lightmaterial. Secured to, each of the transverse channel memhere 9 is a pairof bars 16 which extend across the channels of the longitudinal chan nelmembers 8 and pass respectively through the links 6, thereby supportingthe platform structure. The edges of the channel members 8 arepreferably notched to receive the supporting bars 16 so that the loweredges of the channel members 8 and 9 and the lower edges of the bars 16are substantially flush. The outer ends of the supporting bars arefastened to the channel members 8 by means of vertical channel pieces17.

In order to give access to the pivots at the corners of the base, aswell as to the platform lever connection lying beneath the center of theplatform, it has been customary heretofore to form a relatively largeopening in the center of the platform, the opening being normally closedby a plate set flush with the platform. In the platform. of my inventionI have avoided such weakening of the structure as would be caused bycutting a large opening at the center, but have nevertheless madethecorner and center pivots: and connections readily accessible byproviding relatively small hand-holes at the corners and at the centerof the platform. F or each of the corner hand-holes there is a closureplate 18 such as is shown in Figure 4. As may be seen by inspection ofFigure 3, each of the cover plates 18 is adequately supported upon thechannel bars 8 and 9, the angle bar 15 and the bracket 13. A hook 19 issecured to the lower side of each plate with its bill 20 extendingbeneath the edge of one of the channel members 8, and the plate isfurther secured in place by a screw 21 threaded into the angle bar 15.Each plate is also pro vided with a notch 22 of suflicient size toreceive a screw-driver or similar instrument. When the screw 21 has beenremoved, a screwdriver may be inserted into the notch 22 and the edge ofthe cover plate pried up. As the plate pivots upon its opposite edge,the hook 19 will swing away from the channel member 8 so that the coverplate may be lifted from its place.

The cover plate 25 at the center of the platform is supported upon theangle bars 10 held in place by screws 26.

lVhile it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of myinvention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulfill theobjects primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention issusceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit andscope of the subjoined claims. v

Havingdescribed by invention, I claim:

1. A scale platform comprising, in combination, a plate havingdownwardly-opening channel members secured to and extending along thelower face thereof, andlinksupported cross bars bridging the openings insaid channel bar.

2. In a weighing scale, in combination, platform levers, supportingmemiers carried by said levers, links depending from saidsupliiorting'members, a platform comprising a plate withdownwardly-opening cured to the lower face channel members secured toand extending along its lower face, said supporting menr bers extendinginto the channels of said channel members, and bars bridging saidchannels and extending through said links.

3. In a scale platform, in combination, a plate, angle bars secured tothe lower face of said plate, truss rods passing under said angle barsand attached to said plate, and downwardly-opening channel inen'ibersseof said plate adjacent its edges.

4. In a weighing scale, in con'ibination. platform lever mechanismincluding a series of articulatedparts, a platform supported upon saidplatform lever mechanism, said platform comprising a plate, reinforcingmembers secured to the lower face of said plate, said plate havingopenings thereinadjacent the articulated portions of said platform levermechanism, said openings ex tending over certain of. said reinforcingmembers, and cover plates in said openings resting on said reinforcingmembers.

5. In a weighing scale, in combination, platform lever mechanismomprising a series of articulated parts, a platform resting upon saidplatform lever mechanism and comprising a plate, a reinforcing membersecured to the lower face thereof, said plate having an opening adjacentone of the articulated portions of said platform lever mechanism, saidopening extending over said reinforcing member, and a cover plate forsaid opening having a hook extending beneath said reinforcing member.

6. In a weighing scale, in combination, lever mechanism comprising aseries of articulated parts, a platform structure supported by saidlever mechanism, said structure having an opening therein adjacent oneof the articulated portions of said lever mechanism and a closure forsaid opening comprising a plate, and a hook rigidly at tached theretoand adapted. when said closure is in closed position to extend beneaththe portion of said structure and when said plate is tilted to bewithdrawn from beneath said portion, and means for holding said plateagainst tilting. v

()RW'ELL (T. REEVES. lVitnesses H. WV. BERGEN, (l. E. \ViLoox.

